Florida officials announced felony charges Tuesday against a Palm Beach County man accused of stealing over $70,000 worth of baby formula in at least 50 separate instances, citing a new law that enhances penalties for repeat retail theft offenders.

Kenneth Jones Jr. is facing two first-degree felonies under Florida HB 549, which went into effect in October 2024 and requires that offenders with two prior retail theft convictions face a first-degree felony charge. Jones’ case is one of the first, “if not the first,” times that a defendant has faced first-degree felony charges for retail theft, Attorney General James Uthmeier said at a news conference in West Palm Beach Tuesday.

He was joined by Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Christopher Olowin, w

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